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Volkspils #3 by Gebrouwen door Vrouwen is here

Introducing our new Volkspils, a white ale with locally harvested woodruff and orange blossom. Brewed by Gebrouwen door Vrouwen, two sisters from Amsterdam who started making their own beer in their own kitchen as a hobby in 2013. Today, Tessel and Do are full time brewers. We met with the brewers in Werkplaats to chat about… well, beer of course.

So how did this Volkspils come to life?

‘We were inspired by the name Volk, which means folk in Dutch. It reminded us of the Volkstuinen, or community gardens. We wanted to make a beer that’s suitable for winter, but still tastes light and fresh. So we turned old herbs that Dutch grandmothers had in their gardens like woodruff. We ended up picking the woodruff from actual community gardens in Amsterdam, to put the herb in the beer. Taste-wise it creates a beer that’s creamy with a hint of sweetness, which will surely become a crowd pleaser.’

How did two young women get into beer brewing?

Do: ‘A colleague at my previous office job once brought his own beer to work and I was instantly intrigued. I had to try it myself. We drove around the country to find the right equipment and ingredients required for brewing. And to our surprise, our first beer actually tasted pretty nice! How’s that for motivation to continue brewing?’

What happened next?

‘Within no time, we had transformed our kitchen into something that looks more like Walter White’s office in Breaking Bad. Huge pots and pans filled with all types of liquid everywhere, and notes… lot of notes. When making your own beer there’s one important lesson: Take notes. Because it will help you understand why a beer failed. And help you correctly recreate the ones that taste awesome.’

What’s it like as two women in the beer brewing industry?

‘Clearly, the world of craft beer is a mens world. But we were welcomed with open arms. I think must guys thought it was pretty funny that two young girls had such an interest in making their own beer. We immediately got noticed and it didn’t take very long for bar keepers reached out to work with them. Our company Gebrouwen door Vrouwen (Brewed by Women) grew and after 3 months, we quit our day jobs to pursue our beer dream. And so far, it’s going really well. We don’t brew all of our beers in our own kitchen anymore, but the process is pretty much the same as back when we started. Our next mission is to introduce our craft beer abroad.’

On the left Volkspils #3 by Gebrouwen door Vrouwen. On the right the one we said goodbye to: Volkspils #2 by Branie.